A Cat's Life
by HarleyQuinn4242
Summary: This had turned out to be an unusual day for 19 year-old Karin Kurosaki. Staying up all night to rob Apple, chatting with her crime lord buddies, and then dealing with a box full of kittens. Oh yeah, and the kittens are the only weird part. KarinxHitsugaya, T mostly for language
1. Long Nights

Darkness covered the city of Karakura in a thick blanket, shrouding everyone in either a protective layer or fearsome web. My eyes snapped open, their dark depths easily adjusting to the night and taking in the lightless store in front of me. With a silent kick, I popped off the grate of a vent and slipped out, my lean muscles stretching in a smooth motion as I rose to my full but small height. They were slightly cramped after being coiled in there the majority of the day, but night was a necessity to worth waiting for. My sleek black cat suit created a tight layer that managed to keep out the chill of the icy air my particular line of work forced me through.

I padded across the empty street and cautiously approached the Apple Superstore, creeping around the security camera's line of sight. As soon as I was close enough, I pushed a small button on one of the many things attached to my belt, a small _click_ released. Almost instantly the sound of static filled the evening and the red light on the cameras fizzled out. I glided through the cleared space and up to the glass doors. I crouched, my long, dark ponytail swinging with the motion, and pulled out a few simple tools.

After less than a minute of tinkering, I was able to pry open the doors and slip into the warm, soundless store. Ignoring all of the expensive merchandise laid out I bolted towards the back of the store, knowing it wasn't long until the cameras and other security devices would come back online. I came upon a large, heavily reinforced door, but I merely cocked an eyebrow at it before ramming it with my shoulder. It was thrown open, but I caught it before it could ram the adjacent inside wall.

_Amateurs. _

Now I took pause, allowing my eyes to roam over the true prizes I came for. All sorts of technology littered the shelves of the room, and all of it had yet to be made public. In fact, some of it probably wouldn't for years to come. I pulled a small piece of paper from my belt and glanced over the words.

_Damn it Szayel! It'd be easier to get these for you if I knew what they were._

My brow furrowed slightly in frustration as I tried to decode the scientific words scrawled out on the parchment even as I felt my internal clock ticking. Letting loose a quiet huff of annoyance I grabbed the few pieces of tech I understood, Szayel will just have to get the rest himself unless he decides to write in English next time. I shoved the items into a small cloth backpack before exiting the small back room, placing the defeated door back into it's original position. I retreated from the shop just in time as the camera's red light slowly kindled, but not before making sure not a hair was left behind and everything was as it was before I'd come.

I darted back across the street and once again rejoined the shadows. The eerie silence of the dead of night was not one to be broken by me, and this remained true as I ran past several streets, never once breaking a sweat or breathing harshly. Finally I came upon my destination. I approached the manhole in the middle of the road before sliding off the cover and dropping down into a darkness even thicker than that of the street outside mingled with stale, dank air. Finally I allowed my coiled muscles to relax and the tension of a job to slip off of my shoulders as I walked through the familiar dark passage. After walking for a fairly large distance I ascended a sturdy ladder to the surface once more, popping out in front of a small, modest-looking white house.

I groaned as I reached the familiar, bright red door of my home, tugging out my ponytail and allowing my choppy black locks to fall. I tugged off my dark gloves and shoved them into my belt, careful not to push any random buttons, and leaned my hands on either side of the door while placing my right eye in front of the peep hole. I felt the tell-tale prickle of a scanner across my fingertips and had to refrain from wincing as a bright light rolled over my eye, causing my pupil to contract tightly. As soon as the process finished, and I was sufficiently blinded in my right eye, a small beep informed me that it was time to pull out my keys and unlock my door. An annoying process, but after breaking into countless homes I'd grown slightly paranoid when it came to my own.

I stumbled into my house, sleepiness tugging on my eyelids and causing all of my earlier silence to vanish. Ignoring the fact I was still in my work clothes, I immediately headed to the bedroom. My large, luxurious mattress awaited and, after plopping my belt and backpack onto the nightstand, I answered the call of sleep, knowing it would only be a few hours until I had to rise again.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

I slammed my hand down onto the small clock at my bedside, hearing a sharp crack. Damn it, another broken clock. I slowly peeled back my eyelids only to be greeted with an annoyingly cheerful burst of sunlight. Why must the morning be so cheerful?

I barely managed to pry myself off of my bed, my feet sinking slightly into the plush carpet. I stumbled past expensive pieces of art and a large flat screen on the wall and into a pristine, large bathroom. Ignoring my sleepy-eyed reflection in the mirror I shed my cat suit as I plodded into a glass container. The ceiling shower clicked on, already heated to perfection. Now slightly rejoined to the world of the living, I grabbed my strawberry scented shampoo and washed up.

_Strawberry…_

For a moment I faltered, but then quickly I exited the shower as a warm stream of air dried me off, my long hair pushed back from my face in the wind. I glanced at the small clock in the corner of my mirror and nearly dropped right there.

Bold numbers proclaiming 7:15 made my eyes widen in panic.

_Crap! I'm going to be late!_

I dashed out of the bathroom, quickly donning a plain, white t-shirt and a pair of black jeans while brushing my teeth. I frantically pulled on a mismatched pair of socks, one white one red, grabbed the black backpack, and tumbled back into the bathroom. After throwing my cleaned toothbrush onto the counter I darted through the kitchen, grabbing some pop tarts, and then ran out the front door while attempting to tie my shoes. After hearing the automatic lock behind me I began running along the path I used to get to work, which was _supposed _to be by walking.

I ran as fast as was physically possible for me, vaulting over a bike rack and nearly mowing down a startled mom with a toddler. Oops, I'm not supposed to be able to vault. Oh well. I continued this mad dash until I stumbled across a small, cozy coffee shop proclaiming _Soul Brew _in fancy cursive. I shoved open the front door in plowed directly into my boss. Urahara managed to not even step back as I bounced off of him, nearly falling from the rebound.

"You're late Karin-chan. It's 7:31." Urahara grinned at me as I huffed, slightly out of breath.

"Whatever old geezer, I think your internal clock is off." I grinned up at him as I walked past him and behind the counter to grab my maroon apron.

"That's not any way to talk to your elder is it Karin?" I rolled my eyes at his fake hurt tone.

"Then it's a good thing I act more mature than you." I smirked as Urahara gave an amused grunt before retreating into the kitchen, mumbling about being wounded.

I grabbed a small pad and pen off of the counter to take orders with while setting my bag down as I gazed around a place close to my heart. Sunlight filtered in the wide, street side windows, giving the shop an open feel. There were several small tables, each with a single rose paired with a glass vase in the center, and a few cushioned chairs around the walls. One of the walls was covered with large nature paintings and the other with quotes that had been painted on after the café was first opened. The back of the shop had a small counter where customers could sit and a wide window that provided view of the kitchen. My two fellow servers, Ururu and Jinta, were taking orders and talking amicably with customers.

I approached one of the many customers in the shop, a young girl with vivid blond hair and electric green eyes and what appeared to be her older brother if the matching hair and eyes were anything to go by.

_Ichigo…_

Another swell of sorrow came forth, but determinedly I pushed it back and put on a smile.

"Hi, may I take your order?" I put out my most pleasant voice and kept a friendly expression in place, but slowly my posture tensed as I realized that the man was wearing an officer's uniform.

"Yeah, can I have a caramel macchiato and a turkey panini please?" The girl piped up first, her voice melodious, and briefly I wondered if she was a singer.

"Sure thing. And you sir?" I easily smiled for the girl, but I realized that my face was slightly tense as I faced the cop.

He was rough looking but had a few small laugh lines to offset that, but currently he was grimacing down at today's newspaper. I caught sight of the title and a nervous knot began to twist my insides and I began to get the itch to hide behind my hair. The bold words 'Apple Superstore Ransacked!' popped off the front page. But really? Ransacked? Geez, I'm not a pirate.

"Tch, all I want is for this crook to be caught. What's going on lately? This city has no control whatsoever." His voice came out abruptly and I felt my façade falter ever so slightly as my smile wavered.

"Okay then. One macchiato and panini it is." With a cracking smile I made a hasty retreat as the girl attempted to calm her brother.

After that slight incident the day passed smoothly. I even managed to get an extra half-hour of sleep during my lunch break, although that almost made it even harder to stay awake. After work was finally over and I had clocked out, I finally began to really wake up as the true part of my life really began with the night. After bidding Urahara a curt goodbye as he closed up shop, I began the trek home even though I had intended to deliver the bag to Szayel. The sun was setting and twilight was sinking in as I pulled out my small flip phone. Pushing the first number on speed dial, I listened to a small tone as I waited for one of them to pick up.

"Who is it?" A smile automatically slipped onto my face as Grimmjow answered in his usual gruff manner.

"Hey Grim."

"Karin! How'd the job go?" I heard the rough, business-like tone of his voice, but I knew underneath that there was a note of concern.

"Good, it was simple. Hey can you guys come and pick up the bag, I'm beat." I felt a note of weariness enter my voice at the reminder.

"Fine. Be ready for us, you know how much I hate your god damn security system." I heard the annoyance in his tone and I chuckled.

"Yeah whatever." Before he could respond angrily I hung up, he's like a brother to me.

Just as I hung up I reached my home. On the outside it was a large but rather boring looking home, it's only stand out feature the bright red door and the large lawn. Few knew that the inside possessed technology even the government wasn't in possession of. I walked across the lawn rather than walking on the path and flipped over the rail surrounding my porch, in a good mood after talking to Grimmjow. Talking to my brother figure always put me in a good mood.

_But he can never fill the void Ichigo left…_

I snapped myself out of that train of thought as I crossed the familiar wood of the porch. However, there was something different today. In front of my flamboyant door lay a large box. Instantly caution set in. I slowly crept towards the unassuming cardboard box. Who would put that there? I never get any mail at this house. Curiosity drew me even closer as I realized the box was… Mewling? Swiftly I drew open the top of the box, prepared for anything but what I actually saw.

Squirming around the box was a colorful assortment of kittens. They ranged in color from a black one with gray eyes to a pure white one with vivid blue eyes. As soon as I opened the box they all froze, staring at me with shockingly smart eyes.

_Wait, smart? What? What is this?_

I stood up from my crouched position, looking away from the kittens as I took a moment to process what I just saw. What am I going to do with them? They're cute, but really, I don't have time to deal with kittens. Especially this many, what are there? Ten? More? No, no, no, I'm a cat burglar, not a kitten keeper. These have to go to the pound.

But almost as though they were in tune with my thoughts, one of the kittens gave a pathetic mewl. My eyes darted downwards to catch sight of a bright orange kitten with chocolate-brown eyes staring at me. I felt my resolve crack at the familiar color combination, but I tried to patch it up.

" No. No, you're going to the pound." Despite the firm words, my tone was weak.

"Mew." The high pitched meow forced eyes downwards once more.

The orange kitten was staring at me with familiar eyes, and I felt my resolve crumble.

_He looks like Ichigo…_

"Fine! One night, then I'm finding you homes!" I don't know why I felt the need to talk to the kittens, but for some reason I did.

After passing my security, I lugged the box of kittens into my living room. After tripping over it, all of the felines tumbled out onto the carpet. They immediately dispersed, clumsily walking around my home. As I tried to gather them all up, I got the tired notion that this was going to turn into a very long night.

* * *

**A/N: So this is another plot bunny that attacked me... I hope you enjoy this randomness. I will probably update this every other week after I update Ascent, so yeah sorry if there's any impatience. Anyways! Review and enjoy!**

**Word count: 2,499**


	2. Cat's Outta the Bag

Felines.

Cats.

Kittens.

I _hate_ them _all_.

I panted as I glared at the seemingly innocent group of kittens that sat in a small cluster on my living room floor, each either dozing or cleaning themselves languidly where my coffee table would usually be. Key word: usually. It's current occupation was now as a barrier to keep the devil cats out of my kitchen. Various other _expensive_ items of furniture were now being used for similar purposes, and a large amount of scratches that were going to itch like crazy later littered my form.

Don't let the title of cat burglar fool you, I'm most definitely a dog person.

I trudged right through the middle of the pile of felines, ignoring indignant meows as kittens were forced to dive out of the way. Damn cats have no right to complain after they'd sent me on a wild goose chase to round them up through my own house. I glanced at my thin black watch as my feet were bombarded by tiny claws, attempting to ignore the slight stings. I noted with relief that I'd still have at least half an hour before Grimmjow and the others would arrive.

"Get off damn it!" I finally caved to the claws in my foot, shaking off a particularly persistent black kitten that had one gray eye open and the other closed, its fur spiky and mussed.

The kitten released its grip, bowling into a bright red one, which quickly engaged it in a tiny catfight. I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled slowly, attempting to fight the urge to call the pound. Ignoring the tussle, I moved to my bedroom door, blocked by the pristine white couch which now lay on its side as a form of defense; I have too many valuable things in my room that kitten claws were not welcome near. I clambered over the couch, my usually graceful form nearly tumbling off of the end. After regaining my balance, I stomped over to the bathroom, now officially in a rotten mood.

I turned to the large, Jacuzzi sized bathtub, turning the heat up to the highest setting and pouring in bubble bath. As steaming water filed the tub at a high velocity, I quickly stripped and pinned up my long hair before slipping into the scalding water with a light hiss as it automatically clicked off. The many cat scratches that were smattered across my form stung in the water, but I stubbornly sat there, waiting out the pain. After the sting subsided, I sunk in fully, allowing the water to sooth away my stress.

At least, it soothed away my stress until my entire house shook and a loud _boom_ caused my ears to ring. Bath water mixed with bubbles spilled all over my tile floor, and as I shot out of the tub I slipped, falling hard onto my left knee.

"Crap! Shit! Damn it!" Curses slipped out of my mouth as I cradled my injured knee.

_Hell_ is going to break loose.

I used the counter to pull myself up, grabbing a towel to cover myself as I slid out into my bedroom. From there I limped out into the living room, the angry flush over my face spreading further at the scene before me. An angry, black cloud of smoke was coming from one of my barricaded hallways, no doubt from the source of the mini earthquake. Five men were scattered throughout my living room, all being attacked by little balls of fur and one of which holding a stoic, sleek black kitten up by the scruff of it's fur while the feline attempted to claw his hand. Meanwhile the bright orange kitten was fiercely tearing into a red one, angered hisses escaping it's tiny mouth. A vein began to throb on my head as my ears stopped ringing and I heard the familiar sound of Grimmjow and Nnoitra arguing.

I strode forward, nimbly jumping over the once troublesome couch and stormed over to the two bickering men through the battlefield of cats. As soon as they saw me stalking over, both men scrambled to get away, but it was to no avail as I reached them, gripping them by the hair and slamming their heads together with enough force to shut them up, which is saying something.

"What the _hell_ did you two idiots do to my backdoor?" My tone was seething with a deadly, icy anger.

"Karin, we didn't- I mean-" Grimmjow froze under my glare.

"No. Shut up. I know exactly what you did. You two were arguing, _again_, and somehow the argument ended up setting off my security system, _again_, and you decided rather than putting in the panic code you'd just destroy it,_ again_. I suggest you go clean it up before I go over and see it, because if that happens I can't be held responsible for my actions." My tone was completely calm on the surface, but I knew that the two males could hear the frigid undertones.

You see, while they may be some of the most powerful influences in the black market (hell, even I don't truly know how far their power extends) these men have every reason to be scared of me. They're strong, but so am I, and when I'm on my home turf it's nearly impossible to win against me. So it was with a speed I'd rarely seen from the two that they scrambled to go fix my door under the pressure of my gaze.

"Karin, you do realize that you're still in a towel, correct?" Szayel's lilting voice spoke up with a slightly sadistic amusement.

I glanced down at my barely covered form, instantly both trying to pull the small towel down to cover my thighs and up to cover my breasts. Then I slowly allowed my gaze to slide up to Szayel's smirking face, Ulquiorra's blank mask, and Starrk's seemingly snoozing form.

"Crap!" I darted back to my bedroom, once again tripping over the couch before I slammed the door closed, panting.

I groaned as I slid down the door, burying my face in my hands as my emotions doing a complete flip from rage to sheer embarrassment. I can't believe that I ran out into a room full of men scantily clad in only a towel. I slowly stood up, a blush still on my face, and pulled on a pair of black leggings and an oversized white t-shirt over underclothes before I trudged over to the bathroom to clean up the bubbly mess on the floor. As I sopped up the water I attempted to convince myself that they hadn't seen me near-naked.

After I finished, I headed back into the living room, flushing once more as all my attempts to calm myself were torn away by Szayel's snicker. I glared at him through my blush, but this only made his grin widen.

"Karin, there are felines on your carpet, and they're attacking my feet." I was pulled out of our mini staring contest by Ulquiorra's apathetic statement.

"O-oh yeah. They were on my doorstep when I got home from work. Little demons have already put me in a foul mood." I glared at the offending group of felines, one of which was still in Szayel's grip and now slightly ruffled, hissing and spitting at him.

"Take them to the pound." Szayel wrinkled his nose at the cat with undisguised disgust, flinging it to the floor.

"I will first thing tomorrow." The kittens almost seemed to pause for a moment at this statement from their one-sided war against the men in my living room, but they quickly resumed their futile attacks.

All of the sudden Szayel was easily able to ignore the cats as his face lit up with unveiled excitement.

"Did you get the tech?!" I snorted at him, rolling my eyes.

"Of course. Well, at least I got what you wrote in English; I don't speak nerd Szayel." He was so caught up with the wonderful plans he held for the technology that he didn't even respond to my insult.

"Get it!" I rolled my eyes once more, grumbling to myself about crazed scientists as I grabbed the black bag from my room.

I tossed it at his head, ignoring my his annoyed squawk about handling important items as I plopped on one of the few upright couches next to Starrk just as Nnoitra and Grimmjow reentered the room, once again arguing. I sighed leaning back into the couch, completely ready to copy the lazy man and fall asleep, but once again I was interrupted by a certain bluenette.

"Ouch, shit! Get it off of my face!" I glanced through half-lidded eyes to see the orange kitten attacking Grimmjow's face, and snorted before closing my eyes once more.

"Good luck Grimmy; I refuse to try to deal with those cats anymore tonight. I'm going to sleep." I slowly began to settle in once more for sleep, but it seemed everyone was intent on ruining my night.

"You can't sleep yet. Aizen requires you to complete a job tonight." Ulquiorra's dull tone shattered all my hopes of sleeping.

"Nooo…" I gave a weak protest, but slowly rose up, knowing that it was already settled.

"Sorry runt, but it's the truth." Grimmjow grinned at my despairing look. "Some rich dumbass decided that he wasn't going to pay Aizen back what he owed, so you gotta go take it back."

I gave an exaggerated exhalation through my nose, but automatically slipped into my business side like it was a second skin, effortless and natural.

"Did he give you a mission statement?" My voice mimicked Ulquiorra's cold monotone.

"Here ya go. Sorry ya gotta take this shit job, it would've gone to Nel and Harribel, but they're on a Class A." Nnoitra's voice was more mocking than apologetic as he tossed a thick envelope at me, my hand shooting up to catch it.

Class A. A high level assassination mission, and the only kind I refused to take. Just because I was a criminal doesn't mean I'm going to turn into a murderer.

"They also wanted us to tell you that you're going shopping when they get back." Grimmjow's sadistic nature peered through his pleased smirk at my groaned response.

"Fine… Not like I have a choice. Now get out of my house; I have to get ready and I have classes to finish before I go." My closest friend's grumbles were half-hearted at best, and I knew that they were all run just as hard as I was by Aizen and were probably just as sleep deprived as me, if not worse. Although Starrk sleeps all the time, so he's no indicator.

"Yes ma'am! I've gotta work on this project anyways!" Szayel's eyes were flashing with an intelligent light and I could practically see the intense workings of his brain as he pulled out some of the stolen tech as he dashed out.

The others slowly filed out through the once-smoking hallway, although I had to playfully shove Starrk off of the couch to get him to shock awake, and I noted with envy that they were tall enough to easily step over the couch turned barricade. I slowly rose from the couch as they said their farewells, stretching lazy muscles as I tried to get my eyes to stay focused.

_This calls for coffee._

"Hey, Karin." I was pulled out of my coffee-addicted thoughts as Grimmjow spoke up, lingering in the hallway. "After this mission it's payday, don't forget."

I smiled at him, my mood considerably improving from that simple statement. Payday is my favorite day of the month, for more than just the obvious reason. While Aizen may be a slave driver, he pays well, giving not only a large sum of cash but also treating his top workers to a weekend vacation to a place of their choosing. That meant time to actually sleep and to spend with the Espada, his group of elite officers and my best friends.

"Believe me, I wouldn't forget that." Grimmjow nodded, and after a last goodbye he disappeared down the hall.

I sighed slightly at the ensuing silence as I was once again left alone in my large home. Then I glanced down at the group of kittens that were still agitated over the recent visit.

_Well, almost alone._

I glared at the volatile little pack as I grabbed my custom laptop, courtesy of Szayel, off of one of the few upright shelves in the living room. Ignoring the annoying little buggers I plopped down onto the couch, folding my legs up and beginning my class for the night, kicking off the few that tried to snuggle up to me. Due to my less than legal activities and my job at the café, I have absolutely no time to go to school, so I manage to work through courses online in hopes that maybe someday I could rise from the bottom of the barrel and work as a psychologist specializing in criminal minds. The whole being a criminal thing doesn't need to be mentioned.

After a measly thirty minutes of work I was squinting at the small print of the screen, the words all blending together in my sleep-addled eyes. Annoyed at my own lack of focus, I glanced down at the digital clock on the screen just as the pixilated numbers shifted to midnight.

A rapid series of _pops _exploded through my living room as a thick, white cloud of smoke filled the room with an intense heat that brought small beads of sweat to my skin, the sound causing my to drop my laptop and leap over the back of the couch and coil there in silence. My gray eyes narrowed and sharpened to gleaming blades as I tried to see through the thick cloud, thoughts rapidly shooting through my head with practiced control.

_Possibility of gunfire. Any enemies unknown. Smoke doesn't appear harmful, however low visibility. Complete silen-_

All of the sudden the rough sound of coughs filled my living room and broke the tense quiet, causing my heart to race underneath my skin. I heard the sound of several shuffling feet, but no one spoke. The smoke was rapidly clearing by now, and I knew that I couldn't hide behind the couch when it cleared, so I acted appropriately.

I vaulted over the couch, my sharp eyes drawing in the blurred sight of several people standing in my living room and taking their positions and number into account instantly, the way only someone trained can. I adjusted my landing position, landing in a crouch and twisting my body in a sharp motion, my leg shooting out to knock down three of the unknown people, before I rose in the same twist. I darted through the crowd, using the still misty room to advantage as my barely visible form danced through the group, using people for cover and taking them out in the same instant. I made it through them just as the first ones knocked down rose, but they were far too slow as I reached the far wall.

My small fingers danced over a small pad of buttons that blended in perfectly to the wall and was near invisible to the naked eye, punching in a long code that caused a the wall to slide open with a sleek hiss. I reached up the cold metal shelf, grabbing a gun that was at least as large as me. As soon as the weight of it settled onto me, I whipped back around, my still wet hair flying around my form, and slid into a defensive crouch, the gun resting on my shoulder and pointed at the closest of the crowd.

"Don't move or your body will be reduced to steaming pieces of flesh scattered across my white walls." My voice calm, not the slightest increase of breath or the smallest hint of alarm.

A long moment of tense, charged silence in which no one moved while the remaining smoke cleared ensued, and I could feel my face harden into a mask of apathy.

However, what I saw next was enough to make my mask crack, my hard eyes widening and melting from their icy exterior as I realized who the large weapon I held was pointed at.

"I-Ichigo?!"

* * *

**A/N: Hi all! (: Second chapter what what! I hope you enjoy, sorry that it's a bit late, but yesterday I had to babysit three bipolar girls, so yeah. Excuses excuses! Anyways, pretty please review and enjoy! (: Love you all!**


	3. Not My Day

Warm, familiar brown eyes gazed deeply into my own gray ones, causing me to blink rapidly in an attempt to ward off tears. I could feel my lips quivering at the sight of my brother's sharp features, my throat constricting harshly as I was struck with the strong urge to envelope him in a hug.

"Karin." His voice sent an old ache in my heart on fire, and my grip tightened on the gun I was wielding until my knuckles turned white.

It couldn't be him.

As swiftly as my icy mask had cracked and shown my broken shock, it switched into a cover of sheer rage. I threw the imposing gun I held to the side, ignoring someone's grunt of shock as they attempted to catch the heavy weapon, my eyes locked on the tall man before me. I darted forward, twisting and arching in a fighting style that resembled some twisted dance, my forceful blows catching the imposter before me by surprise with their ferocity. I caught him twice, a punch to the cheekbone that resounded with a sharp crack and a direct blow to the gut that made him bend slightly, before he began to attempt to fight back. Well, not so much fight back as avoid any more blows I made; he didn't try to hurt me, only to catch my hits. As my element of surprise wore off he rose to meet my challenge, holding his own despite my extensive training. Despite the fact he most likely could have put up a better fight, he wasn't really trying, only blocking and dodging my hits.

This only made the pulse of fury in my veins increase.

"Who are you?! How dare you-" My words cut off instantly from a shriek to complete silence as my throat closed up around a sob, my mouth still trying to form words.

"Karin! It's me! Ichigo!" The cruel look-alike before me spoke up, a fire sparking in his eyes as his temper rose to match my own.

"No! No! Ichigo is dead! How dare you!" I felt tears trailing down my cheeks now, but the scowl never left my anger-twisted face.

He caught my arm, and for a long, drawn-out moment we simply gazed into each other's eyes, and I felt something shift in me.

In a sharp motion, I extracted myself from his warm grip, instead choosing to stand simply staring at the man, my chest heaving as with rage. However, as soon as I did this I also realized that the imposter before me was completely naked and that I was surrounded by a roomful of spectators that were clad in what I recognized as my sheets and blankets. My cheeks flushed slightly at having so many near-naked people before me, and I quickly snatched up the blanket I'd been using as I worked earlier and chucked it at my brother's- no, the imposter's face. He quickly wrapped it around his waist, his flaming chocolate eyes never moving from mine. I broke the thick silence first.

"I don't know who you are or why you're here, but you have ten seconds to get out of my house before I kill you all." My words probably would've been more effective if they hadn't been shaky from tears.

"Karin, just listen to me! It's me, Ichigo, your brother." I felt myself give a little at the rough tone of his voice, one I'd heard so often when I was little from my brother, but I hardened my heart to it and tore my eyes from his.

"That's impossible. Ichigo died. I saw it, I saw him get hit by that truck. I saw his body-I saw-" My throat was closing again, and I cursed my weakness.

"Karin. Karin, I know this is hard, but please, it's me. You know, the one that helped you learn how to play soccer and scared the living hell out of your first date." His voice softened slightly, and I knew I was shaking by now, my fists clenching and unclenching in an attempt at self-control as his voice triggered memories that I'd had buried for two years now.

It was at that moment my phone began to rang. I groaned, a long, frustrated noise, both annoyed and relieved at the interruption. I turned from the man, uncaringly shoving through the people in my house to reach the cell phone lying innocently on the ground from when I'd sprung up earlier. My head swam as I pushed past the new but somehow familiar faces, a giant of a man with spiky black hair and an eye patch, a woman with short black locks and a cold scowl, a younger man with white hair and icy blue eyes that pierced into my own-

I turned my eyes straight ahead, only focusing on my vibrating phone.

"What?" My voice came out with a cold bark, unintentionally snapping at the person on the other end of the line.

"Karin? Are you alright?" I immediately straightened at the smooth dulcet tones, my voice coming out much more levelly and respectfully.

"Aizen. Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I'm just a little tired." I heard a slight murmur behind me, but I remained focused on my phone conversation.

"Yes, well, if that is going to interfere with your job tonight-" I felt a cold sweat form at his words, and I quickly spoke up.

"No, no Aizen. I'm fully prepared for my work tonight." There was a pause on the other end of the line, and I held my breath.

"Okay. Then I just called to let you know that there's been a slight change in plans. I want you to take all of the money you can find, not just what he owes." I felt an uncomfortable stirring in my chest at the thought of taking all of someone's money, possibly all of their life savings, but what could I do?

"Yes Aizen." My voice came out cold, hardening for my job.

"Good luck Rin." With that Aizen hung up, and I felt unwanted feelings stir at the comfortable nickname.

My breath left me in a low hiss before I turned to face the group behind me, a migraine pulsing behind my eyes. The Ichigo imposter was standing directly before me, and suddenly I felt so impossibly tired with everything that I simply sat on the floor, my eyes slipping closed.

"Why are you talking to Aizen? And why were the Espada in your house earlier?" I felt myself sink in slightly at his voice, and I shuddered slightly before rising.

"I don't have to tell you anything." I brushed by him, intent on heading back to my room, but he grabbed my shoulder in a firm grip.

"Karin-" I stopped him just by raising my hand.

"Just don't. Just don't, okay? I have to go to work, and I can't take this right now. I can't seeing your face, I can't take the fact that a group of kittens-" I felt my voice shaking so I simply broke it off to take a deep breath, and I honestly felt weaker than I had ever since Ichigo's death. "Please don't be here when I get back." And with that I slipped into my bedroom, hopping over the couch and closing the door behind me.

I slowly slid down the door, my thoughts racing through my head before I gave it a rough shake, slipping out of myself and into my work shell. Ignoring the flurry of voices from the living room, I stood, walking over to my familiar cat suit and sliding into it like it was a second skin before tying up my long locks. I gave a small sigh as I buckled on my belt and grabbed a small black bag before leaping out my window, no desire to see the people in my living room coming over me. I stretched once, sinuous muscles sliding just below the surface of my skin, and then padded off into the night.

-.-.-.-.-.-

I gave a low grunt, using the very tips of my fingers to pull out a small tile off of the wall, stepping backwards slightly from my crouched position on the floor of a dark mansion as it gave suddenly. I gave a small smirk at the electronic lock before me, easily taking out the final defense in-between me and my prize with one of the many tools Szayel had invented just for that purpose. I pushed a small button on my belt and the pixilated numbers before me flickered and jolted, the lock coming unlatched with several soft clicks that felt deafening in the silence of the large house.

I slowly allowed the door to swing open, my black-clad fingers immediately reaching in and pulling out huge wads of cash to stuff in my bag, not stopping until the vault was completely empty. Once it was I carefully covered my trail, leaving everything exactly as it was before I'd taken the cash, and rose in one smooth motion, ready to leave the grand room and the giant house once and for all with my haul.

However, as I turned to make my escape, mentally calculating how long I had until the cameras came back online, I noticed a small form standing across the room from me in a darkened hallway. Immediately I pulled a pistol out from my belt, my aim deadly despite the darkness that my cold gray eyes were used to by now anyways.

"Who are you?" A bleary voice spoke up, and I felt myself tense at the childish slur.

A tiny girl, no more than four or five, stood before me, a small teddy bear clenched in her left hand. She was staring at me with large, inquisitive eyes, and I immediately cursed myself for not hearing her approach. I started to lower my weapon, not wanting to harm the child, but paused as training surfaced.

No witnesses, that is the golden rule. No witnesses, no problem. No chance of getting caught, no chance of destroying all the people I now considered family built up. I grimaced, two sides of myself clashing, before I stowed the gun and turned tail and dashed out of the room.

"Big brother!" I cursed internally as the little girl's shout rang out through the house, causing my legs to push themselves even faster, testing my limits.

_Why does this always happen to me?! Why tonight of all nights?_

I ran through several dim hallways before hopping straight out of the second story window I'd entered in, grabbing onto a thick tree branch and twisting around it before letting go and dropping to the ground, knees bending to absorb the impact. I continued to run from there, praying that the child wouldn't awaken anyone in the mansion before I managed to escape. I kept to the shadows around the large mansion even as I made a hasty exit, knowing that if anything did happen I'd be far better off in my element of the dark. I moved through the large back garden to the large fence, and as soon as I'd scaled the mansion's large back gates and reached the streets I slipped into the sewer.

I didn't bother to use the ladder to get down, instead jumping straight into the musty dark just as the area surrounding the manor flooded with light and the sound of sirens.

"Shit!" I allowed the curse to slip past clenched teeth, knowing Aizen was going to be very unhappy about this.

I kept up a steady run, turning as my mind's map dictated, not worried about pursuit but rather of what faced me at the end of my journey. I struggled to remain calm as I finally slowed, my breathing only slightly increased as I came upon a small metal door in the wall. Just as I reached it, it was flung open, hitting the stone wall of the sewer with a reverberating metal clang. The source of the shove was an annoyed looking Nnoitra.

"What the hell was that Karin?! Aizen's pissed!" I winced at his words, despite knowing they were coming.

"I know, I know. I slipped up." Nnoitra cursed, throwing his hands up and glaring at the air above my head.

"Give me the money and get out of here. I'd give him some time to cool down if I were you." I nodded, tossing the bag to him before he continued. "You're a lucky bitch, if this was anyone else they'd probably be dead by now."

I allowed a long sigh to leave my lips, knowing that his words were true. Aizen was not a forgiving man, and anyone who crossed him was dead. The ones considered lucky were those who still had a body for their family to bury, so really calling me lucky was an understatement. Aizen wasn't going to let this slip, that's certain, but at least I was alive. After all, I still had people I needed to take care of.

"I know. Thanks Nnoitra." He glanced me over once before grunting and slamming the door closed, and I was grateful for his understanding that I really didn't need anymore scolding right now.

Despite my apparent luck, I still felt the burning need for sleep in the back of my head and several thoughts were fighting to rise to the surface of my mind, each screaming for immediate attention.

Today has not been my day.

Somehow I stumbled home through the sewers, barely managing to keep my eyes open for the security check that awaited me at the front door, and made it to my living room. I gave a large groan at the sight of several kittens sleeping on the floor, feeling the strong urge to throw a tantrum. However, instead I chose to simply stepped over the confusing mass to my room, shoving the couch aside with one shove and collapsing on my bed, not even bothering to change. I knew that I still had to figure out what exactly they were and why exactly they were here, and there were plenty of thoughts vying for attention in my head on the subject.

_Where did those cats come from? Are they really the people from earlier? Was that man really Ichigo? What am I supposed to with them?_

But then one thought rose that trumped all the others.

_I'll handle it in the morning._

* * *

**A/N: Hola my lovelies! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, you guys are all amazing! And since it's Easter time, I decided to give you all a little snippet of the next chapter! Here ya go!**

_I felt my heart race at the click on the other end of the phone, and I quickly turned to face the rest of the room._

_"Crap! Everyone get in my bedroom!" I immediately began to attempt to tidy up the shambles of my living room while they all slowly filed into my quarters._

_"Ahh, Karin, don't you think it's a little inappropriate to have several men in your bedroom?" I groaned at Urahara's chipper statement, not really caring at this moment._

_"Not right now!" I scramble for a place to dump my broken vase._

_"Hey, I don't mind." I felt my hackles raise despite myself at Renji's statement, but my angry reaction was beaten by Ichigo's._

_"Shut up Renji! That's my little sister you're talking about, and I already had to beat you up once for being a pervert!" Ichigo was there, scowling at a rather unapologetic redhead._

_"Wait, you already had to?!" I glared at the Renji, crossing my arms as my scowl joined Ichigo's._

_"Guest, designation Aizen, is requesting entry." A mechanical female voice rang out from a small speaker on the ceiling, causing my anger to be dominated by panic, and I immediately resumed frantic cleaning._

_"Just get in there!"_

**A/N: There ya go! Please review and enjoy, they make me update faster. ;)**

**Word Count: 2,412**


End file.
